I don't think that there are (m)any of you from the Grand Rapids area, but I just wanted to put out the fact that there really are some awesome places in my neck of the woods that you should probably venture over here to come to. (Basically, I am jealous of all these PPK meetups and want you to come out of your way to hang out with me.) So here are a list of reasons that you should come to West Michigan.

Food! We have lots of restaurants that are either fully vegan, vegetarian, or do a damn good job of catering to those needs.

Stellas is a bar that serves over 200 kinds of whiskey, several micro brews, and has an extensive vegan menu including seitan wings, stuffed burgers, and all sorts of delectable bar food.

Bartertown Cafe is a new, cooperatively owned/worker run, restaurant that is vegan (though they do offer cheese as a replacement if you'd prefer) that has raw options and sources as the vast majority of its produce locally.

Marie Catribs is a hip little restaurant owned by a cute Lebanese woman and has one of the best veggie burgers I've ever had. (The sweet potato/quinoa burger was listed as one of the 5 best veggie burgers in the country on some list I saw.

There are many others, but the last I will mention is Brickroad Pizza which has a fantastic vegan menu including garlic breadsticks, a plethora of pizzas, sandwiches, and pasta dishes. I went there yesterday for their 8 dollar lunch buffet which included this fantastic mushroom and rice soup that was somehow very reminiscent of clam chowder.

Beer! We have several great breweries in Grand Rapids that pump out some fantastic beer. Founders Brewing Company and Brewery Vivant are both awesome and should probably be consumed on a regular basis. We also have a number of bars that serve only craft brews from the region and around the world. So, if you like good beer, there is no shortage over here!

Finally, coffee! We have a large array of local coffee shops that focus on the roasting of the beans. Sure, a couple of them are a little pretentious, but the coffee is fabulous. And, if you want to venture another 40 minutes, there is a great coffee shop that features vegan baked goods, equal trade coffee, bubble tea, vegan chocolate for mochas, and rice or soy milk at no charge.

If this isn't enough to get you to come visit, I don't know what else to tell you! I guess if you don't share the same loves in life as me (food, beer, and coffee), this wont be very persuasive...

Ethiopian! My dad used to live just a few blocks from Teshlou's Little Africa, and it's the best!

_________________No. No. fork life allatimes. - mumblesThat commercial didn't make me want to go out and buy Dove, but this thread did make me sniff my armpits. They smell like apricot. - designedtobekind

Oh you know Ryan? Nice. He was the mastermind behind pretty much every vegan menu in Grand Rapids. I've only met him a couple times, but he seems legit. And yeah, I didn't even mention the Steam Pig or Art Prize in general.

Hey, Peachy, I'd totally be up for planning a meetup when I'm home if it'll work.

_________________No. No. fork life allatimes. - mumblesThat commercial didn't make me want to go out and buy Dove, but this thread did make me sniff my armpits. They smell like apricot. - designedtobekind

I've been super envious of all the meet ups that I see in other areas on here, so I would totally be down for one! I'm not sure how many other PPKers live in the area, but participating in a meetup would be a dream come true.

_________________No. No. fork life allatimes. - mumblesThat commercial didn't make me want to go out and buy Dove, but this thread did make me sniff my armpits. They smell like apricot. - designedtobekind

I can for sure do Saturday. Dinner time is best for me, though I can fannaggle my schedule to accommodate everyone else. I will be cleaning a church in Muskegon (one of my part time jobs) and have to make sure I pick up our puppy from "daycare" before 8.

I'm afraid I won't make it in with the winter storm coming, but I'm still hoping everything will work out!

_________________No. No. fork life allatimes. - mumblesThat commercial didn't make me want to go out and buy Dove, but this thread did make me sniff my armpits. They smell like apricot. - designedtobekind

It really is an awesome place. I've lived here for 8 years or so, and am finally beginning to truly appreciate it. If you were to visit, I'd be more than happy to give you suggestions or show you around a little or something!

We had some amazing buffalo tofu pizza! Sorry you couldn't make it--you missed some amazing toddler antics.

_________________No. No. fork life allatimes. - mumblesThat commercial didn't make me want to go out and buy Dove, but this thread did make me sniff my armpits. They smell like apricot. - designedtobekind